Strategic marketing and branding expert from England, living in San Diego

Found yourself in San Diego for the Craft Brewers Conference 2012?

Here are my suggestions for the evenings this week to explore San Diego and get away from Mission Valley! I’ll be updating my twitter account (@whanrahan) when I hear about new events but so far this is what I’m planning on doing. All these places are within 10 miles of the Conference so just a short Taxi ride away. I’ll be happy to provide further details – just email me at williamdhanrahan@gmail.com – Hope this helps!

Monday, April 30th 5@:00 PM

30th on 30th

If you want to taste local brews and explore San Diego’s vibrant beer culture, there’s a cheaper, more fuel-efficient & safer method than driving to all the breweries . Simply explore — by foot, car or the No. 2 bus — 30th Street, the five-plus miles between Normal Heights and South Park offers some amazing stops for craft beers and local food. Here’s the program in general: on the 30th of each month, a bunch of restaurants and bars on and near 30th Street offer specials, such as a feature appetizer for $3. This makes it easy for you to go on a restaurant crawl and check out all the amazing places on the 30th Street Corridor. Most places start their specials between 5 and 6pm.

Tuesday, May 1st @ 3:00 PM

Firestone Walker Night at Monkey Paw

805 16th Street, San Diego, CA 92101 This is my local, found in East Village (That’s an area of downtown, walking distance from the Gaslamp)

They will have beers on tap from firestone walker, including double barrel ale, double jack iipa, reserve porter velvet merkin and much more. Cask starts at 3pm, Monkey Paw has a nice happy hour from 5pm – 8pm with $1 off beers. Don’t forget to try their amazing cheese steaks!!!

Wednesday – May 02, 2012 @ 09:00PM / ends @ 12:00AM

Can Diego CBC Opening After Party

Blind Lady Ale House – 3416 Adams Avenue San Diego, CA 92116

Come to blind lady ale house and for Can Diego, hand-picked breweries who CAN at the very first CAN DIEGO event at Blind Lady Ale House

• Golden Road Brewing Co-founder Meg Gill and Brewmaster Jon Carpenter with cans of Point the Way IPA and Golden Road Hefeweizen

Understanding and developing qualitative research methods in Kenya: A case study with Kenchic Ltd

For my Masters thesis is decided to travel to Kenya to work as a marketing consultant to help a local business overcome a major marketing issue.

I studied the methods of collecting consumer information from the perspective of international marketing research. I considered the use of in-depth interviews as a research method to develop insights into Kenyan eating habits and food culture.

Due to the unique focus of this case study research, a thorough study of relevant literature played a key role in helping to determine the choice of research methodology.

A happy respondent receiving his chicken after the interview

The research identified the strong cultural links which consumers place on traditional foods and cooking methods, the fears that consumers have over food safety and the key determinants of meat consumption.

Understanding such areas allowed new concepts to be developed and tested – It was hoped that through such findings, this study helped to develop an understanding of Kenyans attitudes, particularly in relation to the current health issues faced by the partner company who supported this research, Kenchic Ltd.

Practical suggestions for the company were provided based on the results of the in-depth interview analysis, and this method was suggested for future replication, alond with recommendations for how this study could be developed and improved.

The findings suggested that the methods used in conducting international market research were successful in eliciting insightful consumer information and it is suggested for use in similar consumer research projects throughout sub- Saharan Africa.

Thanks to those who participated in the interviews and who I met during my stay in Kenya, without their help this report would not have been possible. Special thanks to Harrison – a good chef and great friend

Travel + Leisure ranks San Diego 8th most eco-friendly city in nation

San Diego is among the top ten most eco-friendly cities in the United States, and the greenest city in California, according to Travel + Leisure magazine.

Based on guidelines such as cleanliness, pedestrian-friendliness and public transit, and great public parks that offset urban asphalt and improve air quality, San Diego ranked 8th on the magazine’s list of greenest cities.

“Every San Diegan knows our city has been blessed with a natural beauty unlike anywhere else in the country, and we’ve been proud to work with our local innovators to keep our environment clean and green,” said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. “I’m happy to invite anyone looking for an eco-friendly destination to pay us a visit.”

Travel + Leisure dubbed the San Diego region a “locavore’s delight,” with more farms per capita than any other county in the nation.

The magazine also pointed to the city’s easy access to sand and surf, as well as the electrical car rental service Car2Go as reasons for its high ranking.

The San Diego region is also home to more than 700 clean technology companies, and gets more power from the sun than anywhere else in the country, according to a recent article in Forbes Magazine.

San Diego beat out California neighbor San Francisco (9th on the list) and other sunny spots like Santa Fe (10) and Honolulu (12).

For over a decade, area businesses in dozens of categories have vied for the prestigious designation of “San Diego’s Best,” as voted by readers of U-T San Diego and visitors to utsandiego.com. The tradition continues in 2012, including an opportunity for your business to earn a nomination and a place on the offiial “San Diego’s Best” online ballot.

Nominate San Diego’s Best, a special section publishing in the Sunday, May 6 edition of U-T San Diego, will give details of this year’s process and direct readers to sdBestPoll.com. There, visitors can nominate their favorite business in approximately 150 different categories, with the most popular nominees qualifying for the official “San Diego’s Best” online voting ballot.

Act now to increase your chances to get on the ballot by advertising in the Nominate San Diego’s Best special section. To advertise, contact me today at 619 857 3819 or email will.hanrahan@utsandiego.com

Combine two parts wisdom and one part charm, add a dash of hospitality and garnish with a friendly smile – this is the recipe for a great bartender.

Diageo will honor bartenders and mixologists by debuting the Diageo World Class program in the United States in conjunction with the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG).This cocktail training program will champion the art of the crafted cocktail and name one talented bartender the first-ever World Class U.S. Ambassador, who will represent the United States at the Diageo World Class Global Final in Brazil this coming July.

To participate, hopeful bartenders and mixologists should register at www.DiageoWorldClassUSA.com and complete three online educational modules enriching their skills and knowledge of the culinary art of the cocktail. The modules will focus on the history of classic and innovative recipes both behind and in front of the bar such as

Classics with a Twist

Asian Influences

Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Drinks.

Participants will also use their newly acquired knowledge to submit an original cocktail recipe and instructional video featuring premium spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio, including

Ketel One Vodka

Ciroc Vodka

Tanqueray No. TEN Gin

Zacapa Rum

Bulleit Bourbon

Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky

Don Julio Tequila

To ignite the spirit of program, the USBG, along with World Class U.S. will host a series of six events across the country. From April 23 through May 15, 2012, renowned mixologist and Tanqueray Global Ambassador Angus Winchester will travel to Houston, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Seattle and New York to recruit bartenders and inform potential participants about the international program.

Additionally, Winchester will use his industry expertise to judge participants’ cocktail recipe submissions and select 20 mixologists to compete in the program’s final challenge.

Following Winchester’s selections, World Class U.S. will culminate with a final event on June 19, 2012, in New York City.

This special gives free appetizer to three or more guests checking in on Facebook Places or Foursquare

In the ever-growing digital era, Chili’s is giving guests one more technological innovation to make it even easier to receive free food at the casual-dining brand. Now through Wednesday, May 30, when guests check in at the bar area of participating locations with two or more friends through Facebook Places or Foursquare, Chili’s will give the group a free appetizer.

Guests can claim this enticing mobile offer by checking in with two or more friends on Foursquare or Facebook Places by showing the server the coupon on their smart phone or by downloading the coupon through Chili’s Margarita Place Facebook tab at www.facebook.com/Chilis.

The free appetizer, available at participating locations during select hours in the bar area, is valid for any appetizer selection up to $5.

Distinguishing itself as a congregating stop for digitally savvy guests, Chili’s digital partnerships have garnered more than 1.5 million check-ins on Facebook Places and more than 1 million check-ins on Foursquare.

“As technology advancements continue to shape the way we live, Chili’s is constantly developing offerings and programs that deliver value and convenience to our guests while rewarding them for dining at our restaurants,” said Edithann Ramey, senior director of marketing for Chili’s Grill & Bar. “This new mobile bar-area special allows our guests to spend time with family and friends in a casual, yet fun environment while tapping into digital innovation.”

Chili’s Grill & Bar is the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International with more than 1,500 locations in 31 countries and two territories. Brinker’s wholly-owned restaurant brands include Chili’s Grill & Bar, and Maggiano’s Little Italy. Follow news about Chili’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chilis, @Chilis on Twitter and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/chilis. For more information, please visit www.chilis.com.

SOURCE Chili’s Grill & Bar

Colored eggs are emblems of Easter. But eggs, when not handled with special care, can cause food poisoning, also called foodborne illness.

Salmonella causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever, can be found on both the outside and inside of eggs that look perfectly normal – symptoms generally last a couple of days and taper off within a week.

But people such as pregnant women, young children, older adults and persons with weakened immune systems are at risk of severe illness from Salmonella. In these at-risk individuals, a Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

That’s why it’s important to handle fresh eggs properly and these tips explain how to do so

Refrigerate Eggs Promptly: Keeping eggs adequately refrigerated prevents any Salmonella in the eggs from growing to higher numbers which makes them more likely to cause illness.

Buy eggs only from stores that keep them refrigerated. At home, keep eggs refrigerated at 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) until they are needed. Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure.

Refrigerate unused eggs or leftovers that contain eggs promptly.

Keep Clean: The outside as well as the inside of eggs can be contaminated. Wash hands and all food contact surface areas (e.g., counter tops, utensils, dishes, and cutting boards) with soap and water after contact with raw eggs. Discard cracked or dirty eggs.

Cook Eggs Thoroughly: Cooking reduces the number of bacteria present in an egg; however, a lightly cooked egg with a runny egg white or yolk still poses a greater risk than a thoroughly cooked egg. Lightly cooked egg whites and yolks have both caused outbreaks of Salmonella infections.

Eggs should be thoroughly cooked until both the yolk and white are firm. Recipes containing eggs mixed with other foods should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).

Eat eggs promptly after cooking. Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature (between 40 to 140 degrees F) for more than 2 hours.

For recipes that call for raw or lightly cooked eggs, consider using pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products.

Separate: Never let raw eggs come into contact with any food that will be eaten raw.

Eating Out: Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or lightly cooked, unpasteurized eggs. When in a restaurant, ask if they use pasteurized eggs before ordering anything that might result in consumption of raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing.